Hydronium is present whenever an acid is dissolved in water; the hydrogen ions released by the acid do not exist in a free state. Water will also spontaneously dissociate into hydronium and hydroxide ions, in the following reaction:
The equilibrium of this reaction is far to the left under most conditions, and so pure water will have little hydronium in it. About 1 molecule in 10,000,000 is dissociated.
Since the reaction releases an OH_ ion, this ion's alkalinity balances hydronium's acidity, and water remains neutral (a hydronium ion concentration of 1 x 10-7.0).
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